Since 1979, the old town of Dubrovnik is featured on the World Heritage list. In 1991 it has been put on the special list of the World Heritage in Danger.
Being a cultural centre, as well as the cradle of Croatian sciences and arts, Dubrovnik represents a unique example of well preserved urban complex, with a regular distribution of streets and squares dating back to the periods of Renaissance and Baroque. Although the discovery of the oldest cathedral layer (7th-9th century) has revealed the setlement's importance in early Middle Ages, the powerful earthquake in 1667 came as a turning point in the city's development.
Dubrovnik is characterized by functional simplicity- from the mighty defensive walls, being
a visible bulwark of its "sweet and precious freedom"/ in the words of Dubrovnik's own Baroque
poet Ivan Gundulic, that became somewhat of the city's popular anthem/, to the seemingly modest
Rector's Palace, reflecting moderation and wisdom, the real Dubrovnik Republic defenders.
A network of consulates and trading stations all over Europe and the world, as well as a mighty
naval fleet, maintained this little repubilc in permanent contacts with other nations and other
cultures. These contacts have enriched both Dubrovnik's and Croatian being, thus listing
Dubrovnik among the eternal examples of human spirit greatness that no earthquakes or shells
launched by the demented conquerors could ever harm.